9/17/2013

By 2:30 today, please email Prof. Poole your version of "I Hear America Singing."  This is an entry in your journal, so you should bring a physical copy of it to class, too.

Please make sure you have read the readings for this week on American culture and religion.  These are:

Chapter 3: The American Religious Heritage

A Model of Christian Charity, by John Winthrop

Interview with Stephen Prothero: http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/interviews/stephen-prothero3.html

These are the handouts from class today:
On The Constitution
John Winthrop, excerpts from A Model of Christian Charity (shorter than the above link)
On American Exceptionalism

In class, we'll review the final versions of "I Hear America Singing," and think a bit about the idea of American exceptionalism as well as about the Constitution, in honor of Constitution Day (September 17th).

Before Thursday:

• read all of the above things, including the handouts!
• Find the famous phrase, "a city on a hill" in Winthrop's sermon excerpts.  What do you think he means by "a city on a hill"?  Write at least two paragraphs in your journal about it.